Wendigos
Wendigos are a portrayal of The Fear of Addiction. They are violent spirits that possess humans who resort to cannibalism in order to avoid dying from starvation. Gluttonous, carnivorous monsters incapable of satisfying their insatiable hunger, the Wendigos spend most of their time hunting any living creature foolish enough to trespasses into their territory. Their favorite form of sustenance is human flesh, which they often acquire by murdering hikers and tourists who explore the snow-capped mountains they typically inhabit. Wendigos often form packs, and will sometimes spare humans so they can transform them into a new member of their group, either by force feeding them the rotting corpses of previous hunts through premastication. Appearance Wendigos are colossal, emaciated creatures with canine or deer-like heads and large, torn up mouths that have been permanently stained blood red. No matter how much they eat, they will always remain unnaturally thin, often to the point where their bones can be seen pushing against their stomachs. They commonly have white or gray fur that are said to smell like a noxious combination of raw sewage and decaying flesh. Most Wendigos also have antlers or horns, which they use to impale or otherwise incapacitate their prey. Other noteworthy features include their red eyes, pointed ears, long, slimy tongues, yellow teeth, and razor sharp claws on their hind and fore feet. Wendigos grow significantly larger every time they eat a person, with some members becoming taller than trees. Characteristics Hunting Wendigos are highly territorial beings that track their prey for several hours, seemingly taking sadistic enjoyment from stalking humans for long periods of time. Hunts can last last anywhere from a few days or even weeks to a month before a Wendigo finally strikes. They typically do this by camouflaging themselves in the snow or climbing in trees before falling down and lunging on humans. Once a Wendigo has caught its prey, it will kill the human by tearing them apart with its sharp claws or gouging out their eyes. They are capable of mimicking human speech to a limited extent, allowing them to lure their prey into complex traps. This suggests they retain at least some of their human intelligence and are all capable of basic cognitive understanding in regards to survival and hunting. Intra-Species Relationships Although they do form packs with one another, Wendigos will often turn on one another during food shortages or to reduce competition. Packs commonly fight each other for territory and will only accept other Wendigos they personally converted or were their friends back when they were human beings. The Frost Wastes Occasionally, Wendigos will trap their victims by sending them to a pocket dimension called The Frost Wastes, a large, frozen tundra or a lifeless, constantly snowing forest. Little is known about this harsh realm since victims rarely escape, and almost always end up dying before they can reveal much. The Wastes are speculated to be where the Wendigo spirits come from, a representation of their starvation, or a reflection of our world due to the same locations and infrastructure appearing there, albeit frozen and deteriorated. Wendigos are supposedly capable of controlling the weather in this dimension, increasing or decreasing the intensity of the wind and snow depending on what suits their needs. The only creatures in this place besides the Wendigos are the trees, which come to life and ensnare people with their branches. Despite generally working together in order to share a meal, the trees are just as voracious as the Wendigos and will betray them so they can capture prey for themselves. Category:The Fears